The first group of F-16s sent by NATO allies to Ukraine have arrived. This was confirmed by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who however underlined that this is an "insufficient" number of fighters.
«We have often heard the word impossible. Now it's reality. Reality in our skies. F-16 in Ukraine. We made it possible,” he said during a ceremony at an undisclosed location, adding however that “the number of F-16s we have in Ukraine, the number of pilots who have already been trained, is not enough.” Reporters on site saw at least two F-16s flying over the site during the ceremony. Behind Zelensky, two more gray planes, resembling F-16s, were positioned on the ground, partially covered.
The Ukrainian leader did not specify how many fighters have arrived, but according to the Economist the first ten (out of a total of 79 promised) have been in Ukraine since the last day of July. By the end of the year, Kiev should have 20 available in total. The rest, promised by a coalition led by Denmark and the Netherlands, will arrive in batches over the course of 2025.
Last May, in an interview, Zelensky said he needed 120-130 of these planes to reach parity with the Russian air force.
(Unioneonline/ss)
